evening

When I notice that my mornings are getting particularly crazy, one of the first things I consider is whether I’m following my evening routine. A great evening routine sets us up for a morning that runs like a well-oiled machine.

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Click play to listen to the audio version of Create an Evening Routine

If you brush your teeth and wash your face before bed, you already have an evening routine. Upgrading your routine is as simple as choosing a couple of things to add to your evening routine that would set you up for a better night’s sleep and better morning the next day.

Now, you may say, “Routines are for type A people, and that just isn’t me.” Having a routine doesn’t mean you have to hold a stopwatch and adhere to this strict schedule. It is just a group of activities that you try to do every night, because you see how much they benefit you.

As an example, I’ll share what my evening routine looks like:

Clean up dinner food and dishes.

Help kids clean up toys.

Get the kids into pajamas, brush their teeth, read a story, say their prayers and sing their bedtime song.

Stretches (because this prevents me from having as many workout-related strains or pulled muscles).

Wash my face, floss and brush my teeth and change into pajamas.

Write down 3 things I am grateful for.

Apply face creams and lip balm.

Read a physical book (not an ebook so the blue light doesn’t affect my sleep.)

Roll lavender essential oil on my wrists.

Pray until I fall asleep.

Other activities you could do in the evening:

Lay out everyone’s clothes for the next day.

Make lunches.

Put laundry in washing machine to be ready to start in the morning.

Thaw out meat for the next night’s dinner.

Set out breakfast dishes and food, when possible.

Prep kids’ backpacks.

Pick up clutter around house.

Set up coffee maker to start in the morning.

Drink herbal tea.

Do a sleep meditation.

My evening routine isn’t something I use a checklist for and check off every night with military precision. I am naturally into a habit of doing these things, because I know there are consequences to me physically and emotionally if I skip them.

If this seems overwhelming, just pick one activity to start with– the one that would be the most helpful to you. Do that for one week before adding a new one.

I hope this post has you excited and motivated to start your own evening routine. If you want more thorough guidance on creating your evening routine, I recommend Money Saving Mom’s course Make Over Your Evenings. It is very affordable and walks you through creating your routine one small step at a time.

Having an evening routine will require some extra time each night, so you need to save time in other places, right? That’s why I created this FREE guide with 25 ways to help you find more time. Just implementing one of these 25 ways will help you save a significant amount of time so you can spend it on whatever you would rather be doing, whether it’s playing with your kids or taking a nap. Sign up to get the FREE guide here.

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About Me

My name is Ashley. I’m the wife of the best guy on the planet, the mom of two crazy girls and a lover of all things country music, reading and group fitness. And I’m super passionate about helping you simplify your life so you can spend more time doing the things you love.